


Trousers Included

by DumasofDale



Series: The Issues with an Academic Calendar [2]
Category: History Boys - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Dates, Awkward Flirting, M/M, just a whole lot of awkard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-09 03:49:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14708529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DumasofDale/pseuds/DumasofDale
Summary: Dakin goes to see Irwin after the 'maison de passe' incident, now both knowing the other is at the school.





	1. Chapter 1

What Tom Irwin was hoping for when he answered the knock on his front door on Monday evening was the delivery company with the last of his belongings. What he was expecting was an overly enthusiastic sales person keen to sign him up for some service or another. What he found was a guilty looking but still smiling Dakin clutching a bag of Chinese food. 

“You can’t be here.”

“Well then,” Dakin replied, undeterred. “You’d best let me in before someone sees.”

More annoyed than concerned by this, Irwin shot him an unimpressed look.

“Or at least before the food gets cold?” Stuart held the bag out, half peace offering, half bribe, and smiling in a way which he probably thought looked charming but actually hinted more at nerves.  
When this didn’t gain the hoped for reaction either, Stuart began to visibly deflate and it was this more than anything that had Tom stepping back from the door to let him past. Apparently Stuart’s plan of attack had ended with getting through the front door and an awkward silence descended as the pair shuffled through the narrow hallway and into the lounge. 

There were still boxes scattered around, some serving as a replacement for the coffee table which had been delayed along with the rest of the van containing Tom’s more cumbersome items of furniture. Fortunately, he’d been struck with a bout of paranoia over parting with his many boxes of books and had loaded them into his car for the move. And since, along with the coffee table, his book shelf had yet to arrive, the boxes were doing a credible job of standing in for the various missing pieces of furniture in his newly rented house. Or at least, he had been of the opinion that they were doing a credible job, seeing Stuart stood among the tatty cardboard he had to force down a wave of embarrassment; reminding himself this was no longer the planned date with the man from the pub, but rather a random intrusion of a _boy_ from school. 

Tom was saved from making what would have surely been an embarrassingly transparent attempted at small talk by a short burst of laughter from Stuart. Not at the lack of furnishings, but, Tom realised, at the pile of half graded history papers sat on top of the box. Stuart’s class’ papers. Luckily Tom’s stood closer and scoops them up before Dakin can.

Stuart pouts and Tom rolls his eyes, the tension easing slightly, “I’ve not done yours yet anyway.”

That was true enough. When Mrs Lintott had handed him the stack earlier in the day, Tom had automatically fished Stuart’s out, then, irritated with himself had shoved it back into the pile, closer to the back. 

“Spoil sport.” 

An awkward pause stretched out until Stuart let out a frustrate sigh, “Why are you being so weird all of a sudden? You weren’t like this the other night.”

“Why am I…?!” Tom spluttered indignantly for a moment before biting out, “I’m your teacher!”

Stuart only scoffed, “Barely. It’s not like I’m a kid, and you don’t look like you could actually grow facial hair yet so I really don’t know why you’re getting your panties in a bunch.”

“I am your teacher.”

“And I wasn’t planning on snogging you in the classroom. But unless there are new rules about Chinese food that I don’t know then I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong.” Stuart was starting to sound exasperated but all Tom could think was that while he might not go to jail, it still sounded like a great way to get fired. 

“Although re: the snogging in the classroom idea, that isn’t something I’d actually be opposed to.”

Neither of them were quite expecting the snort of laughter that startled out of Tom but Dakin grinned in triumph none the less, “See! You might work at Cutler’s now but you’re still the bloke from the pub. Now can we eat? Only judging from the state of this place I’m guessing there isn’t a microwave and cold Chinese food is not my favourite.”

“Okay fine. But just dinner.” Probably not cut out for teaching in the long run, Tom decided, since he couldn’t even manage to sound stern in his own house.

“Sure, dinner,” Stuart agreed easily, making himself at home on the sofa. “Although you did already get to see me with my trousers off. But we can always keep that side of things for school if you prefer.”

Tom rolled his eyes again but otherwise ignored Stuart’s teasing in favour of pulling out the cartons of Chinese food and fortunately some plastic forks tucked at the bottom of the bag. With something other than the potentially imminent implosion of his career to focus on, Tom found himself relaxing. 

He’d been looking forward to seeing Stuart again. Last night, after he’d gotten back from the pub he’d smiled when he’d thought about him and the fact that he’d wanted to see him as well. Before he knew Stuart was Dakin and it all got so bloody messy so bloody quickly. But the chow mein was pretty good. He’d have to ask Stuart where he got it from. That was a safe topic. He could stick to safe topics and maintain a casual, professional, _appropriate_ relationship with him. That would be for the best. Definitely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this! The second chapter will be from Dakin's point of view, because we all know a casual, professional, _appropriate_ relationship is not what he's aiming for.
> 
> Come visit me on [tumblr](http://emeraldpenguin.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dakin's thoughts on the whole messy business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried to capture Dakin's tone in this chapter so lets all cross our fingers and hope it worked!

He should have ignored the papers. Stuart was pretty sure if he’d just ignored them he would have been able to keep the conversation away from Cutler’s, and kept Tom from completely shutting him out. Sorry, Mr Irwin, not Tom anymore apparently.

It was all so petty. And what was worse was he’d actually liked Tom. And had been under the impression that the feeling was mutual. But apparently Tom would rather be professional. Christ how dull.

If Tom thought he was going to just let this go then he had another thing coming. Dakin had run himself ragged for those straight A’s at A Level and he was planning to do exactly the same for these Oxbridge exams. Stuart Dakin was not a man to just give up and go home when things got a bit tricky. 

He’d just have to be a bit careful. Tom was as jumpy as a startled cat, and yes, he could see why. Not that he was going to admit that, but Felix’s eyes would probably pop out of his skull if he so much as suspected anything. Although that would take a pretty spectacular slip up, the man was as dense as anything. Didn’t even know about Hector and honestly how did anyone miss that?

So yeah, some prudence might come in handy but it wasn’t as if anyone was going to be conducting spot checks of his house, so sitting with a buffer zone between them while they ate at Tom’s was definitely a habit that could not be allowed to form. Which of course would mean some more surprise appearances at his house but there were worse ways to spend an evening. The real trick would be finding a way to spend time with him at Cutler’s without making him uncomfortable. 

He’d need a proper excuse, one Tom could use to justify it while he calmed down and also to feed to Posner, the nosy bugger. Scripps might think he was the observant one of the group, always scribbling away with his thoughts on any given situation, but Posner could be annoyingly perceptive when he wanted to be. 

Tutoring would do it. It was a sensible enough request considering the stakes of the upcoming exams but after Tom read his essay it would be pretty obvious that he didn’t actually need the help and then that that wasn’t actually what Stuart was asking for. A euphemism one might call it. 

Stuart sat in his room that evening, having left Tom’s house without much fuss; not wanting to freak him out too early on and risk him completely retreating into himself. He’d sat down with a text book intending to do some serious reading but determination to fix a plan of action for his newest teacher quickly overrode any academic inclination. Because honestly, bugger that. The first bloke who he’d been genuinely attracted to, in a way that wasn’t just a passing fancy for a pretty face? No way was he letting that one go. And if Irwin was half as smart as he sounded he wouldn’t either. Probably. 

Hopefully. 

No.

No.

Definitely. 

He just needed to stick to his plan. Light, teasing, but ultimately unthreatening attentions in class. Show off a bit out of class, nothing risky but make sure ‘student’ wasn’t a descriptor Tom would lean towards when thinking about him, or God forbid, worse, ‘ _boy_ ’. Then outside of school. That was where the challenge and the pressure really lay. Because he liked him, dammit. And if Stuart had anything to say about it, the feeling would remain reciprocated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come visit me on [tumblr](http://emeraldpenguin.tumblr.com/)


End file.
